Fluid coupling



April 1944- H. F. PATTERSON 2,347,121

FLUID COUPLING Original Filed June 9, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ll l INI ENTOR A 'I'TORNEYS- April 1944. H. F. PATTERSON ,3

' FLUID COUPLING Original Filed June 9, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEIYS.

Patented Apr. 18, 1944 Original application June 9, 1939, Serial No.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 278,185, now Patent No. 2,267,476, dated December 23, 1941.

Divided and this application September 10, 1941, Serial No. 410,229

7 Claims.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No.278,185, filed June 9, 1939, now Patent No. 2,267,476, granted December 23, 1941, which application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application, Serial No. 237,893, filed October 31, 1938, and now abandoned.

This invention relates to power transmitting devices and refers more particularly to fluid couplings, clutches, drives and the like.

Heretofore in motor vehicle power transmission systems employing fluid couplings between T the motor and the final drive mechanism, difllculty has been experienced by reason of the tendency of the vehicle to creep or drive slowly when the engine is idling and the transmission is in gear. In other words, it has been found necessary in bringing the vehicle to rest, to manipulate the transmission into neutral or to apply the usual brakes to oppose the drive or drag transmitted through the fluid coupling at engine idling speed. 3

The principal object of the invention is to eliminate the aforesaid difliculty by providing an improved fluid coupling having a fluid control member by means of which the fluid flow between the passages of the impeller and runner members may be automatically and effectively controlled in such manner that, at engine idling speed, there is substantially no circulation of fluid between the impeller and runner.

Another object of the invention is to'provide a fluid coupling of this character having a fluid control member which is responsive to predetermined speeds of rotation of at least one'of the rotating members of the coupling.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fluid coupling having a fluid control member the position of which is controlled by the action of the fluid.

Another object of the invention is to provide a invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view axially through the improved fluid coupling.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken approximately as indicated by the line '33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view corresponding to Fig. l but illustrating a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken as indicated by the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

In the form of the invention illustrated in the drawings, referring specifically to Fig. l, the improved fiuid coupling, generally designated by the numeral Ill, is adapted to transmit a drive between a power driving shaft 1 I, such as an engine crankshaft, and a driven shaft [2. The driving shaft H is drivingly connected at 13 to a flywheel Ill having starter teeth l5 adapted for engagement with the usual engine starting device (not illustrated herein but of well known construction). The flywheel It has fixed thereto by means of the bolts I6 an impeller-or driving member I! of the fluid coupling. The driven shaft 12 corresponds to the driving shaft which ordinarily connects the clutch of a vehicle to the transmission mechanism thereof. A runner or driven member l8 of the fluid coupling I0 is non-rotatably mounted on the driven shaft I2 by means of the spllned connection l2.

Formed in the impeller and runner structures l1: and I8, respectively, are a plurality of vanes 19' forming passages or chambers 19 (best shown in Fig. 2) which extend around an annular vortex chamber or space 20 so that as the impeller rotates, the fluid will be thrown outwardly tov a point generally designated at 2| and toward the passages 19 of the runner l8, thereby induccontrol mechanism for a fluid coupling of this character which is housed substantially within the fluid passages of the impeller and runner structures in such a manner that the overall length of the fluil coupling need not be increased.

A further object of the'invention is to provide a fluid coupling in which the'flow of fluid between the passages of the impeller and runner members is automatically interrupted whenever the speed of the runner exceeds that of the impeller.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed illustrative embodiments of the principles of the ing rotation of the latter as is generally well known in the art. The vanes l9 may be cast integrally with the shell (as illustrated) or the shell and vanes may .be stamped from sheet material whereupon the vanes are welded in place.

' A series of .annularly arranged recesses 25 and 26 are formed on the inner face of the impeller and runner structures respectively and a plurality of circumferentially spaced gate elements 27 and 28 are pivotally mounted at. one end as at 29 within the recesses 25 and 26. The other ends of the respective elements 2 1 and 28 are interconnected by annular coil springs 30 and 3| respectively. The elements 21 and 28 have tubular of the bafile elements 21 and 28. When the veand house the springs 30 and 3| (see Fig. 3). Arcuate slots 25 and 26' are provided in each of the vanes I9 of the impeller and runner res'pectively to accommodate swinging of the gate elements 21, 28. The elements '21 and 28 are normally yieldingly maintained in their illustrated position of Fig. 1 in which the fluid within each of the passages IQ of the impeller is disrupted principally by the elements 21 when the impeller is rotating at a faster rate than the run-' ner structure although at a relatively low speed.

, If the runner member 8 rotates at a faster speed than the impeller, the fluid in each of the passages I9 of the runner is disrupted by reason of the elements 28. The elements 21 and 28 are so constructed and arranged with respect to the vanes IQ of the impeller and runner members I! "and I8 respectively that when the impeller rotates at a sufficiently high speed the elements 21 and 28 are swung outwardly by the impinging fluid about their pivot 29 and into the recesses 25 and 26. When the elements 21 and 28 are held in the recesses 25 and 26 by the impinging elements 21 and 28 are maintained in their fluid interrupting condition of Fig. l by the action of the 'coil springs 30 and 3| wherein they simultaneousiy interrupt the fluid flow in each of the passages of the impeller and runner structures I1 and :3, respectively. This interruption of fluid flow in the passages lowers the energy transmitted to therunner l8, and consequently efiects greater slippage between the impeller and the runner. This action makes it unnecessary to manipulate the transmission into neutral, or to apply the brakes of a motor vehicle in order to hold the latter at rest. If desired, a bailie or offset portion 32 may be used to assist the function l1icle operator increases the speed of the driving sh ft II to a predetermined speed, the centrifugal force on the fluid within the coupling becomes greater and greater and consequently forces the fluid in its well known travel in the outer portions of the passages 9. In other words, the impeller I? will rotate with the driving flywheel l l to cause the fluid to circulate under the action of centrifugal force outwardly through the impeller passages for discharge in the space 2| where the fluid enters the runner passages for discharge at the space 33. The runner is thus driven from the impeller-and the slippage between'the parts rapidly diminishes as the speed of the impeller increases, and this increased fluid flow impinges'against the elements 21 and 28 to urge them outwardly and into the recesses 25 and 26 and. thus out of the path of the fluid flow. When, under certain conditions, the driven shaft i2 overruns the driving shaft .as when the vehicle is coasting, the flow of fluid between the coupling elements isreversed and the fluid then flows outwardly through the runner pas sages for discharge in the space 2| where the fluid enters the impeller passages for discharge 75 2,347,121 portions 34 which extensibly telescope each other at the space-33. The fluidther; impinges on an outer surface of the gate elements 28 and swings them downwardly about their pivots 29 to thereby disrupt the fluidflowtending to move from the runner at the space 2|. are of such strength that they tend to maintain the gate elements in fluid disruptingposition at low motor speeds but permit the fluid'to swing the gate elements out of fluid disrupting position at speedsjabove the motor idling speed. Centrifugal force acting directly upon the gale elements will, of course, have a tendency to maintain said elements out of fluid disrupting position at high rotational speeds-regardless of the direction of fluid flow. The force of the fluid impinging upon the outer surface of the elements 28 during coasting, however, is sufiicient to overcome this tendency and will swing the elements 28 into the position shown in Fig. 1 regardless of the speed of rotation.

During overrunning action of the runner, the elements 21 may also assist the elements 28 in breaking up the flow of fluid from the runner to the impeller. This arrangement of the elements 21 and 28 is particularly effective by reason of their being arranged in the coupling members at a location on the fluid coupling that is at least as far from the axis thereof as the outer diameter of the vortex chamber 20,. and thereby are springs 38 and 3| housed entirely within the fluid passages of the'impeller and runner members can be easily balanced and maintained in balance and moved as a unit. This feature-is of advantage in motor vehicle installations where it may be desirable to remove the coupling when overhauling or repairing the motor or transmission. It is to be understood that the fluid actuated elements may be'used in but one of the impeller and runner, structures and the effective lengths of these elements may be varied as desired.

Referring now to Figs. 4 and 5 wherein is illustrated a somewhat modified embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that many of the parts correspond to parts previously described and shown in Figs; 1 to 3 and the entire mechanism will not again be described in detail. It will be noted that the elements 21 and 28 and the springs 30 and 3| of the Fig. 1 embodiment have been omitted, and an annularly arranged continuous flattened spring 40 has been substituted therefor. It is to be understood that although but one spring 40 is shown in the Fig. 4 embodiment, another may be employed within 'the runner member |8 without departing from the bounds of the invention.

To receive the fluid control mechanism, the impeller member 4| has formed on its inner face an annular groove 42 within which the spring 49 is suitably fixed in such'manner that it is adapted to swing in the arcuately shaped opening 42 provided in the vanes I9 of the impeller. The spring 48 comprises a plurality of finger portions 43 which are normally yieldingly urged by the inherent resiliency of the spring itself into the position illustrated in Fig. 4. The flat faces of the finger portions 43 oppose the passage of fluid simultaneously within all of the passages ll! of the impeller member 4|. As the impeller rotates at The coil springs 38, 3|

' ment.

an increasing speed, the fluid within the impeller impinges on the flat faces of the finger portions l3 and urges the finger portions outwardly into the groove 42 until, at a critical and predeternection with the gate elements 28 01' Fig. 1.

Although but a few specific embodiments of the invention are herein shown and described, it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be the in-- made without departing from the spirit of vention.

Iclaim:

1. A fluid coupling comprising relatively rotatable impeller and runner members each of which is or semi-toroidal form and is provided with regularly spaced radial vanes interrupted by a vortex chamber circumferentially disposed between the axial and peripheral extremities of the vanes, thereby to provide cyclic coupling fluid passages between the members, and means for disrupting the flow through the passages comprising a plurality oi gate elements mounted in at least one of said members, said gate members being mounted between the vanes defining each passage for swinging movement from a position transverse thereof into a position substantially continuous with the flow-path defined by the wall of the member, andspring means incorporated with each gate element and biased to urge the elertriient into its transverse and flow-disrupting posi- 2. The fluid coupling of claim 1, wherein the vanes. are formed with arcuate slots adjacent their peripheral portions, and the gate elements are provided with means entering said slots toguide the gate elements in their swinging move- 3. The fluid coupling of claim 1, wherein the wall or the coupling member in which the gates are mounted is formed with recesses into which the gates may swing thereby to attain smooth continuity of the passage wall boundaries when the gates are in their open position.

4. A fiuid coupling comprising relatively rotatable impeller and runner members each of whichv is of semi-toroidal form and is provided with regularly spaced radialvanes interrupted by a vortex chamber circumferentially disposed between the axial and peripheral extremitiesoi the vanes, thereby to provide cyclic coupling passages between the members, and flow-disrupting gates pivotally mounted between the vanes of said members adjacent the peripheral extremities thereof, said gates being positioned transversely of said passagesand being pivoted for swinging movement to a position substantially continuous with the fiow path defined by the walls of said members, and spring means incorporated with each gate element and biased to urge the element to its transverse position, said gates being further so mounted as to tend to open when fiow occurs in one direction of rotation, the

gates on at least one of said members being additionally hydraulically urged to their transverse position when flow occurs in the opposite direction.

5. A fluid coupling comprising relatively rotatable impeller and runner members each of which is of semi-toroidal form and is provided with regularly spaced radial vanes interrupted by a vortex chamber circumferentially disposed btween the axial and peripheral extremities of the vanes, thereby to provide cyclic coupling passages between the members, and flow-disrupting gates pivotally mounted between the vanes of at least one of said members and transversely of the passages, said gates being formed at one end with tubular portions, said vanes being formed with arcuate slots in line with the path of motion of. the tubular portions of the gates about their pivotal mountings, and a continuous coil spring disposed in said tubes and circumferentially of said member to urge said gates into flow-disrupting position. a

6. The fluid coupling of claim 5, wherein the tubular portions are formed with large and relatively small ends which telescopically engage the e'nds of adjacent gates at the region of the slots formed in said vanes.

'7. A fluid coupling comprising relatively rotatable impeller and runner members each of which is of semi-toroidal form and is provided with regularly spaced radial vanes interrupted by a vortex chamber circumferentially disposed between the axial and peripheral extremities of the vanes, thereby to provide cyclic coupling passages between the members, and flow-disrupting gates pivotally mounted between the vanes oi at flow path defined by the wall of said member, said gates comprising a flattened annular coil spring normally urged by its own tension into its transverse and flow-disrupting position.

HERBERT F. PATTERSON. 

